Dragons Ride Four Game Win Streak Into Bye Week
April 30, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New York Dragons News Release
The New York Dragons 56-39 victory over the Gladiators on Saturday not only avenged a season-opener loss in Cleveland, but brought the Dragons win streak to four heading into the bye week.
After a disappointing 1-4 start, it has been a tale of two seasons, as the Dragons have rattled off four wins in a row to boost their record to 5-4 and move into the middle of the playoff picture. In those four games, the Dragons have outscored opponents by an average of 20.8 points. A combination of a stifling defense and the return of QB Aaron Garcia to his dominance of years past has been the catalyst for the Dragons four-week season turnaround.
A Perfect Month
The Dragons had a perfect April this year at 4-0. Since moving to New York, the Dragons have never been 4-0 in any month of the season. They were undefeated in a month three other times at 3-0 in 2001, 2003 and 2004, but the last time the franchise was 4-0 in a month was as the Iowa Barnstormers. Iowa went 4-0 in a month in 1996, 1997 and 1999.
Model of Consistency: Aaron Garcia
Veteran QB Aaron Garcia seems to have found the fountain of youth, as in his fourteenth season in the AFL, Garcia has proven to be as deadly a passer as ever. During the Dragons win streak, Garcia has thrown seven or more touchdown passes in each of those games, totaling 29 touchdowns in four games. Even more impressive might be the fact that Garcia has not thrown an interception in his last 12 quarters of football. His last interception came in the fourth quarter of the Dragons win over Grand Rapids in Week 6. Garcia now needs just 10 touchdown passes to reach 850 in his career. He would be only the third player in AFL history to reach that milestone.
Fire-Breathing Defense
The Dragons defense has been a main catalyst for the current win streak and fueled the team's rise to one of the hottest teams in the league. In the last four games, the defense has allowed an average of 41 points per game. On the season, the defense has allowed 47.8 points per game, good for fourth in the league. The defense is currently ranked first in the league in total defense, allowing only 262.8 yards per game. They are second in pass defense, allowing only 238.7 passing yards per game, second in sacks with 15 and third in interceptions with 16. Veteran DL Henry Taylor leads the league in sacks with 7.5. DB Billy Parker is fifth in the league with 14 pass breakups, and rookie DB's Levy Brown and John Walker are tied for fifth in the league with five interceptions each. Parker is also in the top 10 in the league in interceptions after he recorded his fourth in Week 9 vs. Cleveland.
More Records for Swayne
A seasoned veteran of the game in his eighth season, 33-year-old WR Kevin Swayne is proving to be as reliable as ever. One of Garcia's favorite targets for eight seasons now, Swayne stepped up once again in the Dragons key victory over Cleveland. In a must-win game for both teams, the Dragons seeking to be over the .500 mark for the first time this season, and a hungry Cleveland team aching to break a three game skid, Swayne was magnificent. He recorded nine receptions for 93 yards and four touchdown receptions, earning himself Offensive Player of the Game honors. Swayne proved that no matter what age he can come through and lead the team when they need him most. In seven games this season, Swayne has recorded 50 receptions for 637 yards and a team-leading 17 touchdowns. This season has also already been a record-breaking one for Swayne. In Week 1 at Cleveland, Swayne became the franchise leader in scoring, surpassing former Dragons WR Mike Horacek's mark of 1,000. Swayne currently has 1,096 points in his career. Swayne's 104 points scored this season also makes him the franchise leader in 100+ points seasons, with five. He was previously tied with Horacek with four seasons with 100+ points. In Week 3 at Philadelphia, Swayne took over two more franchise records, becoming the leader in receptions and receiving yards. He currently has 575 and 7,859 respectively.
Unsung Hero: Jason Willis
In just his second AFL season, WR Jason Willis has become one of Garcia's favorite targets. Willis' contributions are often overlooked because of the other standouts in the Dragons receiving corps. Dragon's fans have seen wide receivers Kevin Swayne and Chris Anthony catching touchdown receptions in a Dragons uniform for years now. Willis is the guy everyone might not be as familiar with, but this season he leads the team in receptions (67) and receiving yards (784). His 784 receiving yards have him at 10th in the league in that category. Most recently he recorded 12 receptions for 158 yards and two touchdowns in Week 9 vs. Cleveland. Willis has also recorded 100+ receiving yards for four straight weeks.
The Dragons will spend the buy week getting some well-deserved rest. They return to action in Week 11 when they travel to the west coast looking to continue their winning streak when they take on the Los Angeles Avengers. The Avengers are 3-6 on the season.
The Dragons return home on May 18th to take on the Georgia Force at 3 pm at the Nassau Coliseum. For your tickets, call 1-866-AFL-TIXX or send an email to ticketinfo@newyorkdragons.com.
Catch the last three games of the regular season and save over 30% off box office prices with the Ciao Baby Blitz Package. You'll even receive a New York Dragons mini-football! Call 1-866-AFL-TIXX for more information.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 30, 2008
- Crush sign two to roster - Colorado Crush
- SaberCats Kicker Earns Honor for Second Straight Month - San Jose SaberCats
- New York's Garcia, New Orleans' Lejeune, Tampa Bay's Marshall And San Jose's Haglund Earn Honors - AFL I
- Dallas' Dolezel Can Become All-Time Leading Passer On Saturday - AFL I
- Philadelphia Looks To Stay Perfect In Week 10 - AFL I
- Gladiators Sign Former Browns DL Mark Word - Cleveland Gladiators
- Dragons Ride Four Game Win Streak Into Bye Week - New York Dragons
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